Flashlight holder



Nov. 15, 1938. o. e. LANCASTER FLASHLIGHT HOLDER Filed April 5, 1938 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLASHLIGHT HOLDER.

Owen G. Iancaster, Cheyenne, Wyo. Application April 5, 1938, Serial No. 200,178

1 Claim. (CI. 24.0-52.5)

This invention relates to flashlight holders, and its general object is to provide a holder for receiving and securing a flashlight at various places on the person of the user, so that the light will be directed as desired and the hands will be free for any purpose.

A further object is to provide a flashlight holder that includes spring pressed clamping jaws for attaching the holder to the person, handles for the jaws and means for detachably receiving and holding a flashlight.

Another object is to provide a flashlight holder that is simple in construction. inexpensive to manufacture and extremely efllcient in operation, use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing where: in like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view illustrating my holder in use.

Figure 2 is a front view of one form of the holder, with parts in section.

Figure 3 is atop plan view thereof with parts broken away.

Figure 4 is a front view of a slightly modified form of holder.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be noted from Figure 1 that I have illustrated the holder as being attached to the collar of the coat of the user, but of course it will be understood that the holder can be attached to the user at any appropriate place desired, such as for instance to a sleeve of a garment along the length thereof or at its outer end, as well as to the waist portion of trousers, or the like.

Each of the forms of the holder as shown, include parts which are made from resilient sheet metal, to provide flat arms I and 2 forming handles and from the handle portions thereof, the arms are looped upon themselves to provide companion jaws 3 that have formed thereon rearwardly extending portions 4 disposed in (11- 'verging relation with respect to each other for arrangement parallel with the handle portions, as shown.

The rearwardly extending portions 4 have slots 5 disposed transversely therein for the purpose of receiving a resilient ring member 6 that extends through the slots and the ring member is split transversely with the ends thereof contacting the jaws 3 at the juncture thereof with the portions 4, to hold the jaws in clamping engagement.

The handle portions likewise extend from the jaws, in diverging relation with respect to each other, and formed on the outer end of one of the handle portions of the form of holder as shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, is an upright portion 1 that merges into an open collar 8 for receiving and holding the flashlight, which for distinction is indicated by the letter A, the outer end of the collar being outwardly flared as at 9 to facilitate the application of the flashlight therein.

It will be obvious that due to the inherent resilient qualities of the collar 0, that it will set up a gripping engagement with the flashlight casing in a manner to prevent casual displacement or removal thereof.

In both forms of the invention shown, the collars are of substantially U-shape configuration, and the opening or mouth of the collar 8,is directed downwardly while the opening or mouth of the collar l0 of the form of Figure 4 is directed laterally, in that the collar I0 is formed directly on its handle portion and is bent inwardly to rest thereon.

In either form, it will be obvious that the jaws are disposed to open position when pressure is applied to the handle portions, but the jaws are urged to closed or clamping position by the resilient ring member 6.

The handle portions are preferablyof greater thickness than the remaining portions of the holder, so as to prevent undue bending thereof when opening the jaws against the action of the spring ring, as will be apparent.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A flashlight holder comprising a pair of flat resilient members looped upon themselves to provide companion jaws and relatively thick handles extending from said jaws, rearwardly extending portions formed on said jaws between the handles and having slots therein, a split spring ring extending through the slots and having the ends thereof contacting said portions for urging and holding the jaws in clamping association, and a substantially U-shaped spring collar formed on one of said handles for receiving and holding a flashlight.

OWEN G. LANCASTER. 

